Far Away
by azkabcn
Summary: [He was supposed to come home three days ago. Three days ago. Three. He hasn't called or texted to let me know he's going to be late, nor has he answered any of mine. It's an understatement to say that I'm extremely worried about him.] AU one-shot.


**Okay so. This has been done as a (late) birthday present for my friend, Gemma Cane. She's an awesome person, a wonderful friend and a stupendously brilliant writer. She writes mainly for Winx Club but she's got a couple of brilliant (if not harshly heartbreaking) Once fics which you should** _ **totally**_ **go read and review. So from an okay-ish writer to a stupendously brilliant one, I present Far Away, a Swan/Jones/Charming family, Captain Swan fanfiction.**

 **Happy (belated) birthday, Gem. Thank you for everything you've done for me :)**

* * *

He was supposed to come home three days ago. _Three_ days ago. _Three_.

He hasn't called or texted to let me know he's going to be late, nor has he answered any of mine.

It's an understatement to say that I'm extremely worried about him.

I sit at the kitchen table, my phone clutched in my hand. I have chores to be getting on with, I know I do, but I can't get my mind to focus. I won't be able to concentrate on anything other than my children until he gets back, and only my children because I know that he needs me to take care of them.

Suddenly I hear tiny, three-year-old footsteps patter into the kitchen, followed by a voice. 'Mommy?' Adriane asks curiously.

I tear my eyes away from the nothing that I was staring at to look at my little girl. She's still in her pyjamas, still clinging onto Mr Ted by the neck. She looks adorable.

'Yes, honey?' I reply as she shuffles closer and tries to pull out a chair. I smile fondly and pull her onto my lap.

'Daddy come back today?' she mutters, looking up at me.

I sigh. My hand automatically moves to run itself through my messy hair (I haven't brushed it in two days). 'I don't know, sweetheart. I hope so.'

'Will he come tomorrow?'

'Adri, sweetie, I don't know. We'll see.' I smile at her, trying to convince her that everything's going to be okay.

(I'm mostly trying to convince myself.)

She nods. 'Okay, Mommy.'

My smile widens.

I call up the stairs. 'Henry?'

I hear a muffled, 'Yes, Mom?' come from Henry's bedroom.

'Grab me a t-shirt and shorts for Adri, please! And make sure they match!'

'Okay!' is the reply I'm given before movement comes from upstairs.

While I wait for Henry, I turn to Adri. 'Grandma is going to take you to school today, okay?'

'Is Neal coming?' she asks, a light, hopeful tone in her voice.

I shake my head. 'No, sweetie. He needs to stay with Grandpa.'

Her face falls.

Before she can reply, Henry thunders down the stairs. 'Here, Mom,' he says, handing me Adri's clothes. 'Hey is it okay if I go over to Violet's after school?'

'Yeah, sure,' I reply, as I undress Adri. 'Just make sure you do your homework and be back before dinner. Okay?'

'Alright.'

Just as I pull up the zip on Adri's shorts, the doorbell rings. I tense up, my hands gripping the edge of her t-shirt.

(I try to force myself to relax since it's probably only Mom, but relaxing doesn't happen.)

Henry senses my discomfort as he looks out into the hallway. 'Grandma's here, I'll get it,' he announces before he lays a hand on my shoulder and then runs out of the room.

I heave a shaky sigh before I stand and take Adri's hand. 'Come on, Sweet Pea. Grandma's here.'

Adri proceeds to yell, 'Grandma!' and run to the open doorway.

I smile, shaking my head, before following them.

I nod to Mom and after she greets Adri with an enthusiastic hug (more so on my daughter's part), she turns to Henry.

'Henry, why don't you take your sister to the car?' she tells him. 'I just need to have a quick word with Emma and I'll be right with you.'

Henry takes Adri's hand and jogs to the car.

Mom turns back to me, raising her brow, her arms folded. 'You're not okay,' she states.

I look at her witheringly. 'Killian was supposed to be back on Friday!' I exclaim. 'I haven't spoken to him and I'm very worried!'

Mom smiles slightly. 'I know, sweetie. I know. But you know what he says. He's a survivor. If anyone can survive on a Navy voyage to the Atlantic Ocean, then it's Killian Jones.'

I give her The Look again. 'Yes but what if this time it's different?! Adri's only three and Henry's already lost his birth father, he can't lose his stepfather too!'

'Emma! Don't think like that!' Mom scolds me.

'I can't help it, I _miss_ him! 'At this point I'm nearly yelling and I know I need to get my shit together before Adri notices that something's wrong with her mom.

'I know, Emma.' Mom wraps her arms around my shoulders and I sigh, leaning into her embrace.

(It's a known fact that a mother's love calms you down faster than anything.)

'When David leaves Storybrooke on a new case for a few days, I miss him too. I know it's not nearly as much as four months, but have hope that he'll be back. Hope is a very powerful thing.'

I raise my eyebrow at her. 'Whatever you say.'

When Mom lets me go, she has the widest grin on her face. The smile is contagious and I find myself smiling from ear to ear. 'Now I have to get myself and your two kids down to school. I'll see you later, Emma.'

I smile slightly. 'I love you, Mom,' I tell her.

'I love you too,' is her response before she kisses my cheek and turns away.

When the door shuts behind her, I turn back into the house and let out a breath.

I'm alone. Six hours by myself before Henry and Adri come back from school. Six hours by myself in which I'll worry about him like crazy.

Right. I have to busy myself. Keep my mind on autopilot. Constant distractions.

* * *

I'm sorting out Adri's wardrobe (distraction method part seventeen (or is it eighteen? Twenty?)) when there's the chunk of a key turning in the front door lock. I don't register it at first (seems distraction method part whatever is working wonders.) and keep my focus on the toddler t-shirt in my hands.

It's only when I hear a voice call out, 'Swan?' that my head snaps up and my heart starts racing.

I drop the orange t-shirt onto the bed and sprint to the top of the stairs. There I see him, I see my Killian, in his black jeans and leather jacket, his dark hair beautifully mussed as usual. I breathe out a quiet, 'Killian,' and that's all it takes.

Before I know it, I'm sprinting down the stairs at lightning speed (it's a wonder that I don't trip up on scattered toys and fall flat on my face.) I don't exactly know what it is; maybe it's because I missed him or the worry or the stress that makes me do it but suddenly my arms are resting on his chest and I'm bawling my eyes out.

His arms go to hold my waist and I'm overwhelmingly aware of the relief that follows.

 _He's alive._

 _He's back._

 _I don't have to worry._

 _I love him._

I feel an urge to look at him so I reluctantly lift my eyes, tears still falling. His ice blue eyes are damp and I know that they'll spill over very soon.

And then something lodges itself into my mind. I should be angry with him. He left me waiting for _three_ days. He didn't let me know why he was late. He let his children miss him without an explanation. And that fair in _hell_.

But I can't be angry. I can't because I'm relieved. _He's back_. So I do the only thing I can to show him that I love him, that I miss him.

I press my lips to his in an urgent manner, pushing him backward a little. His arms tighten around my waist as the kiss deepens and I know that we'll have to pull back _some_ time, we need to _talk_. But I _miss_ him. I can't bring myself to let him go.

It's only when he pulls back himself that I accept that yes, _we need to talk._

'Emma,' he rasps out. 'I missed you so much.'

I smile widely. 'I missed you too, Killian,' I tell him honestly, my voice hoarse. 'But you were due home three days ago!'

He sighs, shoulders visibly slouched. He lifts his left hand, palm up, and what I see there renders me speechless.

A jagged scar runs diagonally across his palm, a break of dark colour upon his usually pallid skin. My hand flies to my mouth, my eyes to his. And that's when I see the scars above his right eye and cheek. They don't look as deep as the one on his hand, certainly not deep enough to need stitches but _they're marring his skin._

'Killian!' I exclaim. 'What the hell happened?'

'A nearby ship,' he explains, taking my hand in his good one. 'It was carrying explosives. Suddenly there were bombs flying onto our deck. As soon as they landed, the bombs went off. We lost three sailors. Four others apart from me were injured, our captain lost his leg. I _almost_ lost my hand. I got out of it lucky.' He shook his head.

'Oh my goodness, are you okay?' I ask, taking his hand to check his scar. Tears glaze my eyes and I'm pretty sure they would have spilled over had Killian not wrapped his arms around me, effectively trapping me in the comfort of his protectiveness.

'I'm okay, Swan,' he whispers in my ear. 'I'm fine now that I'm back here with you. I'm fine.'

'I thought I was going to have to let you go!' I told him, my cheek resting against his shoulder.

He kisses the top of my head. ' _Never_ let me go. I'm sorry I kept you waiting, I'm sorry I worried you. I'll never go far anymore. I promise.'

'What?' I whimper.

'I left the Navy, Swan. I'm not going back,' he explains, his voice hushed.

I look at him, shocked. 'No! No, you can't leave the Navy! I know I want you to stay with us but you love your job! You can't sacrifice it!'

His mouth lifts up in a smile. 'I love you more. I love you, Henry and Adri more than anything. Especially more than some poxy job.'

I smile again. 'I love you most,' I whisper.

And thenI'm swept awayin him, his warmth, his love, and I forget where he ends and I begin.

* * *

'Mom! We're home!' I hear Henry's voice as he unlocks the front door. 'Violet had to leave school early because—'

Henry and Adri stop dead in the doorway, staring. Adri whispers a, 'Daddy?' before breaking out into a run (or something thereabouts).

Killian kneels in front of her, holding his arms out. She falls into him and he scoops her up, standing straight again.

'I missed you, Daddy,' I hear her whisper.

I'm grinning madly and my heart flutters when I see tears spilling down his cheeks. 'I missed you too, sweetheart. I missed you so much,' he murmurs, kissing her cheek.

He shifts her to his left hip and presses his thumb to his eyes. He looks at Henry a second later. He extends his right arm with a soft, 'Come here, lad.'

Henry steps into his hug and whispers, 'I'm really glad you're home, Dad.'

'Me too, son. Me too.'

I put my arms around both Henry and Killian and rest my head against Killian's shoulder. I'm really glad to have my family, my _whole_ family, back together, close together, not far away from each other.

* * *

Having Killian next to me as I sleep tonight is extremely relaxing. We talk about our time apart (purposefully avoiding the cause of his injury), our voices drawling on due to fatigue. I tell him what he's missed on our end, Henry's awards ceremony, Adri's field trip, my work as Sheriff.

The last thing I feel before I drift away into happy waters is Killian's lips pressed to my temple, his left hand resting lightly on my stomach and his right arm under my head.

* * *

I come back from the Sheriff Station the next evening at eleven o'clock, knackered, hungry, full of dull physical ache from sitting in a chair for five hours straight, to see the lights off everywhere in the house except for the light in the corner of the living room.

Killian, Henry and Adri are sprawled on the sofa (Killian upright in the middle, Henry with his feet up on the arm rest, head lolling against Killian's shoulder and Adri lying on Killian's lap, his hand protectively holding her in place), fast asleep, the credits from Marvel's The Avengers rolling on the TV screen.

I switch it off, and take out a blanket from the drawer and drape it over all three of them. I kiss each of them on the forehead and switch off the light.

I grab a packet of Cheetos from the cupboard and take them upstairs, ready to savour after a quick shower.

I'm not worried anymore. He's back, he's safe, and we're a family again.

I couldn't have been happier.

* * *

 **What d'you think guys? Please give me a review to let me know what you thought (and maybe even a favourite to accompany it?)**


End file.
